You must complete an Absentee Ballot Application and mail it to the address below:

General Registrar2400 Washington Ave.Newport News, VA 23607

Fax: 757-926-3653

You may also apply via fax at the number listed above. Be sure to complete all information on the form, including the reason you need to vote absentee, the address where you want the ballot mailed, your full name, home address, social security number, and your signature.

If you have any questions, please e-mail the Voter Registrar or call us at 757-926-8683.

The City of Newport News offers ACH direct deposits to all of our vendors for their check payments through Paymode-X. Like checks, these payments are entered into the computer daily and instead of having a check printed, the payment is automatically deposited into your bank account. This saves time on the mail service delivering your check to you and saves time that you would spend going to the bank to deposit the check. This also decreases the possibility of a check being mailed to an incorrect address or being lost in the mail.

Either the Purchase Order was set up for a discount or your company offered a discount on the face of the invoice. Should you feel the discount was taken in error, please contact the Accounts Payable staff member who handles your vendor letter group (1st letter of your business name).

The most common reason that an invoice has not been paid is because Accounts Payable has not received the invoice. Invoices should be mailed to:City of Newport NewsAccounts Payable, 7th Floor2400 Washington Ave.Newport News, VA 23607

An animal license is valid for 1 year (February 1 through January 31). Animal licenses are purchased annually and expire January 31 of each year. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

A household may have 4 domesticated animals (dogs or cats or combinations thereof). If you have 5 or more domesticated animals, you must contact the Department of Codes and Compliance for permission before obtaining the animal licenses for your animals. More than 50 domesticated animals cannot be kept within the city limits.

A dangerous animal license must be obtained if the animal has bitten, attacked or inflicted injury upon a person or companion animal and the courts have declared it a dangerous animal. The license fee is $50 per year. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

A vicious animal is an animal that has been declared vicious by the courts. Vicious animals are not allowed within the city limits. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Yes; the fine for Failure to Obtain a License and Failure to Display a License is determined by the court. An additional court cost may be applicable. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

The Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) is a planning document. It lists many projects that the city desires to accomplish, generally over a 5-year period. The CIP includes new construction or renovations to existing school buildings and other city structures, major street, bridge, and sewer repair projects, and upgrades to existing park facilities, or new park structures.

The CIP is a dynamic instrument that may change from year to year as infrastructure needs in the city are identified. Basically, the preparation, approval and financing process for the CIP are:

Development of a CIP by the City Manager and staff

City Council approval of a CIP after public hearings

City Council approval of a CIP funding source, which is usually a Bond Authorization (after a public hearing)

An appropriation of funds to the project

Award of a construction contract for the project to be built.

First, the city prepares the multi-year planning document based on all known information about particular projects. Project categories are developed for buildings, school facilities, sewers, streets, etc.

The next step is to request City Council adoption of a resolution approving the CIP. This is an important step that indicates that the city has identified certain infrastructure needs. It does not mean that all projects will be accomplished within the time frames shown in the planning document. Project timing may change for a variety of reasons such as alternative ways to get the project accomplished, need for the project and cost. The City Council has total flexibility to accept, reject or modify projects in the plan.

Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) changes require a different procedure. Upon the recommendation of the city Manager, the City Council may amend the Capital Improvements Plan by a majority of affirmative vote. The CIP is not a formal budget. Appropriations are made on a project-by-project basis only. Only the first year of the plan is approved by City Council on an annual basis. This provides the City Council with flexibility in executing the plan and the ability to add to the CIP with unprogrammed projects as necessary.

Before a project can be started, an approved funding source must be identified. If enough uncommitted funds are available, the city may pay cash to have the project done. Most projects however, must be financed over a long time period since rarely do city governments have the money readily available to pay for high-cost capital projects.

Financing projects is similar to a homeowner’s mortgage. The city borrows a large sum of cash to pay for projects and then repays it with interest over a long period of time, generally 20 years. The amount repaid each year is called debt service. The general purpose behind the use of long-term debt for financing capital projects is that these facilities will last for many years so that current taxpayers will not have to absorb the full cost of their construction. Borrowing also serves to smooth the cost impact of large expensive structures (such as a school or fire station) over more than the facility’s shorter construction period.

Before the city can borrow the funds or even commit to begin a project, State law requires that several steps be complied with.

The State requires that a public hearing be conducted on a bond authorization by the City Council. A bond authorization indicates an amount of funds that the city intends to borrow (at some time in the future) to pay for capital projects. A notice (advertisement) that the public hearing will be held by the City Council must be advertised in the newspaper twice during the 2-week time period before the public hearing is actually held. The advertisement lists the amount of funds that the city intends to borrow (at some time in the future) and provides an estimate of the amount of money by category that it intends to spend on capital projects. The public hearing gives citizens an opportunity to express their views about the city’s intention to incur additional debt for capital projects.

If the bond authorization is not approved, capital projects can only be done when the city has saved enough money to pay cash for the project.

If the bond authorization is approved by the City Council, it signifies that the city will use bonds as the fund source to pay for projects up to the amount of the bond authorization. It does not mean that the city intends to sell bonds immediately or even in the very near future. Generally, the city only sells bonds when the cash is needed and when market conditions are the most favorable (lowest interest rates) for the city to borrow the money.

The bond authorization gives the City Manager authority to bring individual requests for funding for capital projects to the City Council for their action (that is, approval or disapproval of funding). Projects often may be financed in stages - to accomplish the architectural/engineering element, to land purchase when necessary, or to perform studies as required by regulatory agencies.

Approval of funding is called an “appropriation.” When an appropriation of funds is made, construction or whatever work the project calls for may start. Once the work begins, the city is generally committed to doing the project and eventually selling bonds. If you have any questions, please email Budget and Evaluation.

The city receives most of its revenue on a seasonal basis. Property taxes are collected in November - January and again in May - July. This money must last the city for the entire year. Usually, the city will have enough cash on hand to be able to meet its regular monthly bills and still have enough cash to front-fund some capital projects. When bonds are eventually sold, the cash that was used to front-fund projects is reimbursed to the city from the bond proceeds.

This procedure is in the best interest of the city as it maximizes the use of the city’s available cash. Bond sales are timed to market conditions (interest rates) and actual cash needs. Actual cash needs are determined by the amount of funds that have been expended on individual capital projects.

If the CIP is approved, the financing process can be summarized as:

A funding mechanism is approved which generally is bonds (the bond authorization)

Projects receive funding (an appropriation) on an individual basis

Project costs are paid for from existing city cash (front-funded)

Bonds are sold to re-pay any city funds that were used and for the remaining costs of the projects

The funds borrowed are paid off usually over 20 years (debt service payments)

State law sets the city’s debt limit at 10% of the assessed value of real property located in the city. The city’s adopted policy is that the General Fund’s annual debt service will not exceed 9.5% of the combined city and School revenue for that year. If you have any questions, please email Budget and Evaluation.

A CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is a trained citizen who is appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of a child in court. Children helped by CASAs include those for whom have been abused and or neglected and for whom home placement is being determined in the juvenile court. These children are wards of the state and live in foster houses throughout our community.

A CASA provides a judge with a carefully researched background of the child to help the court make a sound decision about that child’s future. Each decisions is as unique as the child involved. The CASA's report will recommends if it is in the child’s best interest to stay with his or her parents or guardians, be placed in foster care, or be freed for permanent adoption. The CASA follows through on the case until it is permanently resolved.

The Code of Virginia defines an abused and/or neglected child as under the age of 18 whose parent or caregiver responsible for the child’s care: causes or threatens to cause a nonaccidental physical or mental injury, neglects or refuses to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, nurturing, or health care, abandons the child, fails to provide adequate supervision, commits to allows to be committed any illegal sexual act including incest, rape, fondling, indecent exposure, and prostitution.

A mandated reporter includes CASA’s, teachers, social workers, doctors, counselors, coaches, and other professionals with care giving roles of children. If there is a suspicion of child abuse and/or neglect, mandated reporters or other concerned citizens can call the Virginia Department of Social Services Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-552-7096.

This information is provided by the Virginia Department of Social Services guide on recognizing child abuse and neglect. These indicators alone might not be a call for abuse and may be cause for concern of something other than abuse. Recognizing these indicators help professionals observe children and determine their best interests. Through the training process, CASA’s learn how to make decisions on a child’s best interest. CASA’s do not determine if abuse or neglect has occurred nor do they investigate abuse or neglect. CASA’s are mandated reporters and work very closely with DSS Workers in following up with these concerns. For more information please visit www.dss.virginia.gov.

To prepare a recommendation, the CASA talks with the child, parents, family members, social workers, school officials, health providers and others who are knowledgeable about the child’s history. The CASA also reviews all records pertaining to the child such as school, medical, social worker reports, and other documents.

CASAs come from all walks of life with a variety of professional, educational and ethnic backgrounds. There are more than 52,000 CASA volunteers nationwide. Aside from their CASA work, 50% are employed with full time jobs: 82% of the CASAs nationwide are women; 18% are men.

CASAs offer children trust and advocacy during complex legal proceedings. They explain to the child the events that are happening regarding the reason they are in court. CASAs also explain the roles the judge, lawyers, and social workers play. CASAs also encourage the child to express his or her own opinion and hopes, while remaining objective observers.

The child understands that there is one special person whose purpose is to help him or her. Consequently, the system seems a little less overwhelming. The judge receives important information to assist him or her in making a decision about the child’s future. The CASA becomes directly involved in protecting the rights of children.

Yes. Juvenile court judges implement the CASA program in their courtrooms. After the successful completion of the CASA training, CASAs have the privilege of participating in a swearing in ceremony hosted by a juvenile court judge. All CASA cases are appointed by the juvenile court judges. CASA has been endorsed by the American Bar Association, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The CASA concept is based on the commitment that every child has the right to a safe, permanent home. The juvenile court judge appoints a CASA to the child’s case. The CASA then becomes an official part of the judicial proceedings, working alongside attorneys and social workers as an appointed officer of the court. Unlike attorneys and social workers, however, the CASA speaks exclusively for the child’s best interests. By handling only one or two cases at a time the CASA has time to thoroughly explore the history of each assigned case. There are other child advocacy organizations, but CASA is the only program where volunteers are appointed by the court to represent a child’s best interests.

CASAs receive 30 hours of classroom instruction from judges, social workers, and other professionals in our community. There is also a 4-hour courtroom observation component that is required before a CASA is court appointed.

Each case is different. A CASA usually spends about 10 hours doing research and conducting interviews prior to the first court appearance. More complicated cases take longer. Once initiated into the system, CASAs work about 10-15 hours per month.

The CASA program requires all CASAs to commit to a minimum of one year. One of the primary benefits of the CASA program is that, unlike other court principals who often rotate cases, the CASA is a consistent figure in the child's life and provides continuity necessary in the court proceedings.

CASA is funded from several sources among them: the City of Newport News (thru the Community Support Agency Funding process), the Virginia General Assembly (administered through the Department of Criminal Justice Services), Private and Corporate Donations, Faith Community, Civic Organizations, and Special Events.

This page provides basic information and instructions pertaining to obtaining a license and getting married under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Any two single, divorced or widowed individuals, 18 years of age or older may apply for a license to marry. You do not need to live in Newport News to obtain a license here.

Licenses are obtained in the Circuit Court Clerk’s office located on the first floor in the Courthouse Building at 2500 Washington Avenue in downtown Newport News across from City Hall. Both parties must be present and each must present a government issued, pictured i.d. such as a driver’s license.

There is no blood test required and you do not need to bring a copy of any divorce decree - however, you will be required to swear under penalty of perjury that the information you are providing, including your marital status, is truthful and correct.

You will be required to furnish your social security number but this number will not show on your license.

The license may be used only in the Commonwealth of Virginia. You cannot legally marry in another state using a Virginia marriage license. The license to marry must be used within 60 days, after which it expires. If you do not marry within 60 days Virginia law requires that you return the unused license to this office. If you still wish to marry you must apply for a new license.

Your ceremony must be conducted by an official authorized to perform marriages by a Virginia court. Most members of the clergy affiliated with a local congregation have this authorization.

If your ceremony is to be performed by an out of state clergy member coming here specifically for your wedding he or she must first contact this office for further instructions.

If you wish to marry in a civil ceremony you should contact one of our marriage commissioners. Their names and phone numbers are on business cards available when you apply for your license.

The cost of the license is $30.00 payable in cash or check drawn on a Virginia bank. You may also pay by credit card, however a 2% convenience fee is charged for this service. Certified copies may be ordered and paid for at the time of application for an additional fee of $2.00 per copy.

Our office is open weekdays from 8 AM to 4 PM. We are not open on weekends or on state or federal holidays. Although there is no waiting period to use your license you should not wait until the last day before your planned wedding to obtain your license as the courthouse is subject to close for emergencies at any time without advance notice.

All persons, bags and packages entering the courthouse are subject to search by court security and you will be required to pass through an x-ray scanner upon entry.

Do not bring with you anything that could be considered a weapon, any controlled drug substances or other contraband and do not bring your cell phone.

Also, the courthouse is not an environment suitable for children. Should you have children you should make every effort to have them cared for elsewhere while you and your fiancée conduct your business with the court.

No, you are required to file your divorce in the Circuit Court which is a court of record and you must comply with all the applicable rules in the Rules of the Virginia Supreme Court (PDF), the applicable statutes in the Virginia Code, 1950, as amended, and the local rules of the 7th Judicial Circuit (Newport News).

Yes, but this does not provide proper legal service. Legal service on your spouse must be by a manner authorized in §8.01-296, Code of Virginia, as amended, or by acceptance of service as set forth in §20-99.1:11, as amended.

No, you are required to see that the case goes forward and in so doing you must comply with all applicable rules and statutes, prepare and file all necessary papers, have the evidence taken (uncontested divorce), and prepare and file all Orders (Decrees) necessary to process and complete the divorce.

The defendant in the divorce lives in Newport News as of the date of filing

The two of you last cohabited as husband and wife in the City of Newport News

You are the plaintiff and live in Newport News and the defendant is either a non-resident of Virginia

The defendant's present whereabouts are unknown

Please note that your reason for filing in Newport News must be clearly stated in your Bill of Complaint, and if you allege either (3) or (4), you will have to obtain service of your Bill of Complaint on the Defendant by publication (§8.01-316 and §20-104, Code of Virginia) or personal service outside Virginia (§8.01-320, Code of Virginia).

No, the clerks, judges and their personnel cannot provide you with legal advice. You will have to seek legal advice from those qualified and authorized to give that advice or sufficiently educate yourself concerning the relevant area of the law.

The Code of Virginia and the Rules of the Virginia Supreme Court are both available online. The Law Library for the City of Newport News is open to the public from 8 AM until 4:45 PM Monday through Friday, and is located on the 1st floor in the Justice Building at 2501 Washington Avenue, directly across the street from the Courthouse.

As an adult, you may petition the Circuit Court in the city where you live. The court will determine whether good cause exists under the circumstances alleged in the petition. Pursuant to §8.01-217, Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the following are required in the petition:

The petition must be made under oath (you must swear to the truth of the allegations in the petition after having been placed under oath by a Notary, and that Notary must acknowledge on the petition that you were placed under oath and swore to the truth of the allegations in the petition and that you did sign the petition)

Your place of residence

The names of both of your parents, including the maiden name of your mother

Your birth date and your place of birth

Your felony conviction record, if any. If none, that must be stated

Whether you are presently incarcerated or a probationer with any court (if not, that must be stated)

Whether your name has been previously changed [if so, list your former name(s)]

Your affirmation that this name change is not sought for any fraudulent purpose and would not infringe upon any rights of others

One or both parents of a minor child may petition the Circuit Court in the city where the child lives. The court will determine whether good cause exists under the circumstances alleged in the petition and whether the change is in the best interest of the child. Pursuant to §8.01-217, Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, the following are required in the petition:

The petition must be made under oath by parent or parents (you must swear to the truth of the allegations in the petition after having been placed under oath by a Notary, and that Notary must acknowledge on the petition that you were placed under oath and swore to the truth of the allegations in the petition and that you did sign the petition);

The place of residence of the minor child

The names of both parents of the minor child, including the maiden name of the mother

The birth date and birth place of the minor child

The felony conviction record of the minor child. If none, that must be stated

Whether the minor child is presently incarcerated or a probationer with any court (if not, that must be stated)

Whether the name of the minor child has been previously changed [if so, list the former name(s)]

The parent or parents petitioning must affirm that the name change is not sought for any fraudulent purpose, does not infringe upon any rights of others and is in the best interest of the child

In the case of a minor with both parents living, if only one parent files the petition, the parent who does not join in the petition shall be served with reasonable notice of the petition, and, if he or she objects, a hearing before the judge must be scheduled. It is the responsibility of the petitioner to see that reasonable notice of the petition is served on the other parent. If a name change for a minor is allowed, it does not terminate any of the legal parental rights of a parent.

You should get from the Clerk's Office a minimum of 3 certified copies of the Order changing your name and then immediately make associates, businesses and others with whom you have dealings aware of your change of name. You should make sure you contact your nearest Social Security office to secure the necessary forms to submit for a new Social Security card (your Social Security number should not change). Social Security should notify the IRS of the change; however, you should verify this with Social Security. More information concerning your name change and Social Security may be found at their website. You should also notify your local governmental offices, including the Voter Registrar's Office, the Commissioner of the Revenue, and the Treasurer's Office. Do not forget to take your old license, your new Social Security card and a certified copy of the name-changing Order to the DMV to secure a new operator's license.

The budget is a plan. It is a financial proposal that annually directs the provision of public services and facilities. This plan represents the City Manager’s and City Council’s commitment to provide for the most important citizen needs within the boundaries of available revenue (funds).

The money collected by the city from taxes, grants, fees, and many other sources to pay for this plan is called revenue. The money spent on salaries, materials, and equipment to provide these planned services and facilities is called expenditures. By city law, revenues and expenditures must be equal in the Annual Budget. This is what is meant by a balanced budget.

In Newport News, water services are provided by a separate department with its own distinct budget. Likewise, automotive maintenance and repair services for city-owned vehicles, solid waste collections, and wastewater (sewer) maintenance are provided by a department with an individual budget separate from the other general operating city departments. The City Council must give approval to each separate budget. They are included in the city’s overall (total) budget plan.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

As a practical matter, most large public and private organizations, and many smaller ones, prepare budgets in order to manage their finances properly. Governments have two other primary reasons for creating budgets. Governments provide facilities and public services to meet their citizens’ needs that are paid for with public funds. Usually there is not enough revenue to provide for all the citizens’ needs, so compromises must be made. The budget process provides a mechanism where elected officials, after hearing the diverse views of citizens, taxpayers, and other interested parties, can compromise and reach an accord on spending priorities.

In addition, the city creates a budget because it is legally required to do so. Section §6.02 of the City Charter requires the city to prepare an Annual Operating Budget. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

During the month of September, the Budget Department begins to brief the City Manager on the financial outlook for the upcoming fiscal year. Actually, the City Manager and City Council are made aware of how operations are proceeding financially more often. When creating a new annual budget, a hard look is taken at historical, current, and projected future revenue and expenditure trends at this time.

The Department of Budget and Evaluation (DBE) develops the City Manager’s budget guidelines for the city departments and agencies. These directions are issued in early October. Department heads use these guidelines and their own analysis of their departmental needs, and prepare their operating budget requests during November through January, submitting them to DBE.

Following the Budget Department’s analysis of these requests, operating department personnel and DBE staff meet to jointly review the requested budget. The requested budget is then reviewed again, by the operating department, DBE staff, and with the City Manager. At the conclusion of this series of hearings and reviews, the City Manager decides upon a specific level of total funding to be proposed in the budget. After all funding decisions have been made by the City Manager, a Proposed Budget is prepared by the Budget Department.

Under the law, the City Manager’s proposed budget must be submitted to the City Council no later than May 1 (“...60 days prior to the beginning of each fiscal year...,” City Charter, Section §6.02). The City Council may conduct several work sessions on the budget at this time using supplementary information such as staffing data and program details as needed. Also at this time, public hearings on the City Manager’s proposed budget held, as required by the City Charter. They must occur within 30 days after the City Manager’s proposed budget is submitted (Section §6.02). Only 1 public budget hearing is required; however, 2 are usually held - 1 each in the northern and southern areas of the city.

City Council may conduct further work sessions on the budget after the public hearings. The proposed budget is voted upon at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting, concluding with adoption of the budget, with rate and fee and appropriation ordinances.

The approved budget takes effect on July 1, marking the beginning of the new fiscal year. Only 8 weeks later, the preparation of the next year’s budget begins again, as the current budget is implemented and the past year’s audit of financial activity is prepared. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

Many organizations have adopted 12-month financial planning periods which do not begin or end with the calendar year. These financial or fiscal years are often set to be parallel with similar organizations. Most governments, school systems, and many nonprofit enterprises use a July 1 to June 30 fiscal year. By law in Virginia, the State and all other local governments are required to have a fiscal year that begins on July 1 and ends on June 30.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

The City Manager and City Council make the final decisions on what is included in the budget and what funding levels will be. But before these choices can be made, information, recommendations, and preferences are provided to these decision-makers by a wide range of groups which have an interest in government programs and finances.

One good way to gain a sense of the diversity of involvement in the budget process is to glance down a list of speakers for a typical budget hearing. There are speakers representing senior citizens, public education, the handicapped, taxpayers associations, and the general citizenry, for example. These community group representatives, as well as elected officials, individuals, department heads, the Budget Department staff, and other interested parties, all have an important role in the budget setting process.

Citizen recommendations presented to the City Council and City Manager at the public budget hearings subsequently are discussed at work sessions by them with the Budget staff and department directors and their staff as necessary. All of these participants contribute to the final decisions each year on what are the most important citizen needs for public services and facilities in Newport News and their funding levels. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

The Proposed Operating Budget is required by City Charter to be reproduced and made available to the public. Additionally, the City Code specifies certain requirements as to content and format. Copies of the Proposed Operating Budget are available for review by the public usually around the beginning of April. They are available in any city library, on the city’s website, or the Budget Department. The City Charter specifies in Section §6.08 that the proposed budget will not be open to public inspection until after it has been made public by the City Manager.

The adopted (approved) budget is usually available at the start of the new fiscal year, in order to allow sufficient time for incorporating any changes to the proposed budget and for printing the document in final form. The adopted budget document is then available for examination in any city library, on the city’s website, or the Budget Department. The city presently prints limited budget documents for distribution to all city libraries, City Council, and operating departments of the city. The budget document is not printed in quantity for general distribution to organizations or individuals.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

The City Manager initiates the budget process. The City Manager sets the expenditures of the budget and establishes the revenue estimates to finance the budget. The City Council may increase, decrease, or delete individual items in the proposed budget except for Debt Service expenditures. The City Manager must propose, and the City Council must adopt, a balanced budget. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

After the final approval of the budget by the City Council, only limited types of changes may be made. A department may transfer its own funds internally from one expenditure category to another should the need arise. Money cannot be moved from one department to another without approval of the City Council, as recommended by the City Manager.

Supplementary appropriations that may be needed require the recommendation of the City Manager and approval of the City Council. Sufficient funds must be available for such appropriation. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

Real estate and personal property taxes are the city’s two main sources of revenue, comprising nearly half of the city’s general revenue sources. All other taxes, fees, licenses, and earnings are the remainder of general revenues. State and federal revenues comprise about 10 percent of General Fund revenues, primarily as categorical aid in the Human Services (social services) area.

Many city revenues, while paid by citizens as taxes to the state and federal levels, come back to the city in the form of aid programs or grants. Each year, the city or city agencies receive funds from state and federal sources for everything from transportation projects to education assistance. Even though these programs are paid for with revenue derived from a citizen’s income and sales taxes, the city usually has little choice in deciding on what to spend the money. The federal and state governments establish the policies and guidelines for these programs that the city must follow in order to be eligible to receive these grants and aid.

While it is still true that much of government revenue is derived from local taxes, user fees are a source of funds for selected public services. Water, sewer, garbage collection, and certain recreation programs are a few examples of public services whose costs are paid for primarily by user charges. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

If city finances are healthy, the city will complete the fiscal year with expenditures lower and revenues higher than anticipated, that is, with a surplus. Many government financial experts believe that a surplus, or reserve, makes good management sense. As excess city funds are identified, they generally are either used to fund supplementary appropriations to the current year’s budget, are used to fund extraordinary or emergency projects, or unplanned capital projects as they arise.

A far more serious situation exits when revenues are over-estimated and/or not budgeted expenses are incurred, so that a potential deficit situation exists. In such instances, immediate action has to be taken to curtail spending. There is little, if any, opportunity to pursue the alternative remedy, that is, to increase revenue yields, once the budget has been approved. To date, the General Fund has never incurred a year-end deficit from this type of situation. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

The front portion of the budget document contains revenue and expenditure summary tables, and explanatory charts. The middle section, comprising the bulk of the document, contains information about the spending plans of city departments. These pages are grouped by functional categories such as public safety, general government, and schools, showing the functions of the departments and what types of expenditures that are planned to be made during the budget year. In addition, measures of service levels are provided through the inclusion of service indicators.

Department descriptions are generally detailed by major operating divisions or activities. Three years of financial information are shown for revenue and expenditure items contained in the budget. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

The Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) is a planning document. It lists many projects that the city desires to accomplish, generally over a five-year period. The CIP includes new construction or renovations to existing school buildings and other city structures, major street, bridge and sewer repair projects, and upgrades to existing park facilities or new park structures.

The CIP is a dynamic instrument that may change from year to year as infrastructure needs in the city are identified. Basically, the preparation, approval and financing process for the CIP are:

Development of a CIP by the City Manager and staff

City Council approval of a CIP after public hearings

City Council approval of a CIP funding source, which is usually a Bond Authorization (after a public hearing)

An appropriation of funds to the project

Award of a construction contract for the project to be built

These elements are explained further below.

First, the city prepares the multi-year planning document based on all known information about particular projects. Project categories are developed for buildings, school facilities, sewers, streets, etc.

The next step is to request City Council adoption of a resolution approving the CIP. This is an important step that indicates that the city has identified certain infrastructure needs. It does not mean that all projects will be accomplished within the time frames shown in the planning document. Project timing may change for a variety of reasons such as alternative ways to get the project accomplished, need for the project and cost. The City Council has total flexibility to accept, reject or modify projects in the plan.

Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) changes require a different procedure. Upon the recommendation of the City Manager, the City Council may amend the Capital Improvements Plan by a majority of affirmative vote. The CIP is not a formal budget. Appropriations are made on a project-by-project basis only. Only the first year of the plan is approved by City Council on an annual basis. This provides the City Council with flexibility in executing the plan and the ability to add to the CIP with unprogrammed projects as necessary.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

Before a project can be started, an approved funding source must be identified. If enough uncommitted funds are available, the city may pay cash to have the project done. Most projects however, must be financed over a long time period since rarely do city governments have the money readily available to pay for high-cost capital projects.

Financing projects is similar to a homeowner’s mortgage. The city borrows a large sum of cash to pay for projects and then repays it with interest over a long period of time, generally 20 years. The amount repaid each year is called debt service. The general purpose behind the use of long-term debt for financing capital projects is that these facilities will last for many years so that current taxpayers will not have to absorb the full cost of their construction. Borrowing also serves to smooth the cost impact of large expensive structures (such as a school or fire station) over more than the facility’s shorter construction period.

Before the city can borrow the funds or even commit to begin a project, State law requires that several steps be complied with.

The state requires that a public hearing be conducted on a bond authorization by the City Council. A bond authorization indicates an amount of funds that the city intends to borrow (at some time in the future) to pay for capital projects. A notice (advertisement) that the public hearing will be held by the City Council must be advertised in the newspaper twice during the two-week time period before the public hearing is actually held. The advertisement lists the amount of funds that the city intends to borrow (at some time in the future) and provides an estimate of the amount of money by category that it intends to spend on capital projects.

The public hearing gives citizens an opportunity to express their views about the city’s intention to incur additional debt for capital projects. If the bond authorization is not approved, capital projects can only be done when the city has saved enough money to pay cash for the project.

If the bond authorization is approved by the City Council, it signifies that the city will use bonds as the fund source to pay for projects up to the amount of the bond authorization. It does not mean that the city intends to sell bonds immediately or even in the very near future. Generally, the city only sells bonds when the cash is needed and when market conditions are the most favorable (lowest interest rates) for the city to borrow the money. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

The bond authorization gives the City Manager authority to bring individual requests for funding for capital projects to the City Council for their action (that is, approval or disapproval of funding). Projects often may be financed in stages - to accomplish the architectural / engineering element, to land purchase when necessary, or to perform studies as required by regulatory agencies. Approval of funding is called an appropriation. When an appropriation of funds is made, construction or whatever work the project calls for may start. Once the work begins, the city is generally committed to doing the project and eventually selling bonds.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

The city receives most of its revenue on a seasonal basis. Property taxes are collected in November - January and again in May - July. This money must last the city for the entire year. Usually, the city will have enough cash on hand to be able to meet its regular monthly bills and still have enough cash to “front-fund some capital projects. When bonds are eventually sold, the cash that was used to front-fund projects is reimbursed to the city from the bond proceeds.

This procedure is in the best interest of the city as it maximizes the use of the city’s available cash. Bond sales are timed to market conditions (interest rates) and actual cash needs. Actual cash needs are determined by the amount of funds that have been expended on individual capital projects.

If the CIP is approved, the financing process can be summarized as:

A funding mechanism is approved which generally is bonds (the bond authorization)

Projects receive funding (an appropriation) on an individual basis

Project costs are paid for from existing city cash (front-funded)

Bonds are sold to re-pay any city funds that were used and for the remaining costs of the projects

The funds borrowed are paid off usually over 20 years (debt service payments)

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

State law sets the city’s debt limit at 10% of the assessed value of real property located in the city. The city’s adopted policy is that the General Fund’s annual debt service will not exceed 9.5% of the combined city and school revenue for that year. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

As was mentioned previously, real estate and property taxes are an important source of the revenue used to pay for the cost of government services and facilities. The amount of revenue anticipated to be received by the city is the major factor in calculating the level of expenditures the city may budget. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

The most direct means of addressing elected officials concerning the budget is by participating in a public budget hearing. These public hearings are held in the evening at two different locations. Notice of a Budget public hearing appears in the newspaper about one month before the hearing. If you wish to speak, you may sign up at the public hearing site that evening of the hearing. You will be asked to furnish your name, address, and the subject matter you wish to address.

All speakers who sign up will be heard, generally in the order in which they registered. Speakers are requested to limit their remarks to three minutes. It will help the effectiveness of your presentation if you have your comments well organized or, better still, in written form.

Written comments, whether or not you personally attend a hearing, are always accepted before or after a hearing by mailing or delivering your comments to the City Clerk’s office. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, date, and the subject matter or hearing to which your comments pertain.

Those residents who prefer to voice their views in a less formal forum than public hearings may wish to do so through involvement in organizations such as their PTA or civic associations, as these groups frequently maintain a continuing interest in the budget and often delegate representatives to speak at public hearings. A listing of City Council appointed Boards, Commissions, and Committees can be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office.

These groups provide advisory and administrative support to the City Council through their varied statutory functions. It is through these groups that a variety of citizen’s concerns are heard, acted upon, or recommended to the City Council for action. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Budget and Evaluation.

To focus on specific data — like a fund, department, expense type, or any combination — use the menu on the left side panel. The “By” drop-down allows you to specify which breakdown you want the graphs and table rows to represent on the graph. You can analyze the expense and revenues data by fund, department, or type.

Yes. Use the Data Filter on the left side panel to make specific selections within the data. The Data Filter shows you the hierarchical relationships of Funds, Departments, and Account Types. You'll notice the title of the graph you are viewing on top along with the account type selector. You can use the filter to see the data of most interest to you.

In the upper right hand corner, you will see options for the different graphs and tables. There are five graph types overall: an area graph, an area graph by percentage, a line graph, a pie graph, and a bar chart. There is also always a table view below any chart or graph. The table allows you to zoom-in on the detailed financial data selected in the chart or graph above.

In reviewing multiple years of data, you may see "spikes" in the individual years; this can be due to unexpected expenses, such as a hard winter, equipment failure, a capital project, or a specific event that required additional funds. You can drill-down into our OpenGov site to learn more about what exactly those expense or revenues are categorized.

Yes, there are Share and Download buttons in the upper right corner. You can share any view on a social network or by email. There are also options to download the displayed data in .csv spreadsheet and .png image formats.

You need to include the exact location of the traffic device, date and time of the accident, your telephone number, and any other facts that may help in the investigation. If you have any questions, please email the Engineering Department.

This service charge is based on the amount of impervious surface on a developed piece of land. You can find out more about service charges online. If you have any questions, please email the Engineering Department.

The Feasibility Study and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Plan were conducted as part of a predesign evaluation for the upgrade of the citywide traffic signal system in Newport News. The findings that follow establish a plan to guide the city through the design and construction phases of the project. It was determined that the city will pursue a multi-year development of a Citywide Signal System Upgrade. View the following documents on the study:

The Flood Assistance Program (FAP) acquires, relocates, or elevates structures located in the floodplain based on their risk of flooding. To be eligible, the home must:

Be located in the 100-year floodplain

Have a finished floor elevation below the 100-year flood level

Have been under construction before December 31, 1974

There are 3 types of assistance alternatives considered by the program.

Structure and property acquisition: This assistance involves the city buying your property and its improvements in order to eliminate the flooding damage.

Structure elevation: This assistance involves the city raising your structure so that floodwaters would no longer enter and cause flood damage.

Structure relocation: This assistance involves relocating your structure to a location that is not subject to flood damage.

The Newport News Flood Assistance Program is a voluntary program. Applications for 2008 Fiscal Year funding will be accepted in late summer or early fall. During that period, applications will be available for pickup at the Department of Engineering (City Hall, 8th floor) and all main library branches. If you have any questions, please email the Engineering Department.

This is the preferred method of payment and part of an effort to reduce checks and eliminate paper waste and inefficiencies. It is not required. This will also decrease the time it takes to complete payment and is more convenient than handling a check.

The new payment process keeps that card account with a credit limit of $0 until an invoice has been approved for payment. Once it is approved, the card will be funded with the exact amount due and you will receive a remittance, which is an electronic confirmation that the card is ready to be charged. This technology makes keeping a card on file completely safe.

Would your company allow you to maintain only the 1st 12 numbers on the card? For security reasons, the remittance advice, which authorizes payment, only identifies the last 4 digits of the card; upon receipt of the remittance, you would have the complete card information in order to process the transaction.

Receipt of payment will remain the same. If you currently receive 1 check for multiple locations, you will maintain 1 card number on file, and the remittance will identify the appropriate location by invoice number, date, and amount. If a separate check is sent to each remit-to address, a unique card number will be assigned for each location.

Yes, there is a non-refundable $25 application fee that must be submitted with every application. This fee is reimbursed to grant recipients. If you have any questions, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

There is no set limit to the number of times a property owner may apply; however, to ensure maximum fairness and accessibility to the program, property owners who receive a FIG must wait 24 months after the completion of their first project before applying for subsequent grants. If you have any questions, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

Once your completed application is submitted, it will be presented to the Revolving Loan Fund Committee for their recommendation and Newport News Economic Development Authority for approval. Decisions are usually made within 30 days of receipt. If you have any questions, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

No, exterior and interior improvements are not covered. Grant funds will only cover improvements done to the exterior / facade of the building. If you have any questions, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

FIG applications will only be accepted from the property owner(s). All property owners must sign the FIG Application in order for the application to be considered. If you have any questions, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

Ownership of the property will be verified by a Department of Development Representative. To ensure efficient processing of your application, please provide documentation that demonstrates ownership of the property. If the applicant is an LLC, an operating agreement or documents from the initiation of the entity will be helpful during processing. If you have any questions, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

Yes, businesses may be eligible for multiple incentives. As each business is categorized differently and pays different types of taxes based on the nature of the business, the incentives available will vary. To discuss incentives for which your business may be eligible, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

Because each of the city’s programs has varying qualification criteria, and each project is unique, there is no single way to determine which program will offer the largest incentive amount. If you wish to discuss the opportunities available to your business, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

You are not eligible if you owe the city taxes. All applicants must be current on city taxes in order to be considered for a FIG. If you have any questions, please call 757-926-8428. A Department of Development representative will be happy to assist you.

Each jurisdiction will jointly hold one consolidated recruitment process a year. The eligibility list will remain active for one year from the date of establishment. Candidates must reapply for each new process if they wish to continue seeking a career as a Firefighter/Medic Recruit position.

Must agree to sign a No Tobacco Use agreement, which prevents an individual from using any tobacco products at any time, on or off the job, while employed by the City.

Driving Requirements:

Must have a point balance of minus five (-5) or better (or equivalent, if a non-Virginia resident) on their Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) record in order to apply, however, if a panel interview is extended, candidate must have a point balance of minus three (-3) or better.

Must Not have been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, convicted of a felony or assigned to any alcohol safety action program or driver alcohol rehabilitation program, hit and run, reckless driving or operating on a suspended or revoked license with the past three (3) years.

Must Not have been convicted of more than one (1) drunk driving or driving under the influence in their lifetime.

Must Not have two (2) or more chargeable accidents during the prior two (2) years.

Must Not have an accumulation of eight (8) or more points attributed to speeding during the previous two (2) years.

Must Not have been convicted two (2) or more convictions of reckless driving during the previous seven (7) years.

Must Not have been convicted of driving while license is suspended / revoked during the previous three (3) years.

Must Not be considered uninsurable (i.e., if the Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles driving record report indicates that the applicant is an uninsured motorist).

Drug Usage Requirement:

Must Not have possessed marijuana within two (2) years of application for this position.

Must Not be a current illegal drug user OR have ever illegally possessed in the past three (3) years any drug or controlled substance which would constitute a felony, to include illegal use of prescription medication.

Must Not have been convicted or found guilty of any crime involving the use, possession, or distribution of illegal drugs except that the person is eligible for affiliation (5) five years after the date of final release if no additional crimes of this type have been committed during that time which is located on the following website: leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+reg+12VAC5-31-910.

The candidate’s DMV record needs to be no older than 30 days from the last day of the application period. A transcript of your driving history record from the Division of Motor Vehicles in the state that currently holds your operator’s license(s) is required. (The Virginia transcript should cost $8.) When submitting the DMV record, the record must note “end of transmission.” If a request is made on-line, the record may not identify end of transmission.

Due to their dual-role responsibilities, Recruits hired will be required to successfully graduate from the physically demanding Tidewater Regional Fire Academy (TRFA) and the EMT – Intermediate Program.

Training programs during the Tidewater Regional Fire Academy (TRFA) for Firefighter/Medic Recruits are typically scheduled for Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM. Training programs during EMT training may include in addition weekends where clinical programs will be scheduled and other days off will be provided.

Once assigned to a station, you will work 24-hour shifts, 8 AM – 8 AM. The rotating 3 days On and 4 days Off schedule averages to 56 hours a week and 10 days a month on-duty.

The City of Newport News has all bridges inspected biannual. This bridge was built in 1960 and recent inspections show that it is reaching the end of its useful life. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

This project involves the entire replacement of the existing bridge carrying Route 105 (Fort Eustis Boulevard) over CSX railroad. One half of the bridge will be replaced at a time. Traffic will be shifted to drive on the half not being worked on and reduced to one lane in each direction. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

A Traffic Impact Evaluation was performed by a professional traffic engineering consultant. Various scenarios were run and recommendations for signal timing were made. The City of Newport News Engineering staff and our design consultant reviewed these recommendations and they were and incorporated in to the project traffic control plan. Also the recommendations and the traffic control plan were provided to VDOT.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

With the various elements that affect a traffic system it is hard to determine an exact time of delay. Incidents that may cause additional delay could be accidents on Fort Eustis Boulevard, Interstate 64, Jefferson Avenue or Warwick Boulevard, inclement weather, etc. Commute times will increase and motorist should expect major delays on Fort Eustis Boulevard and adjacent routes. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

The speed on Fort Eustis Boulevard will be reduced to 35 miles per hour, for the duration of the project, starting near the entrance / exit ramps for Warwick Boulevard (Route 60) to East of Jefferson Avenue (Route 143). If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

The City of Newport News has published a map suggesting alternate route from Interstate 64 to Fort Eustis, which is available on the project website.As the project progresses, Newport News Engineering Staff will analyze traffic data and adjust signal timing to help keep traffic moving. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Virginia State Code § 18.2-46.1 "Criminal street gang" means any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, (i) which has as one of its primary objectives or activities the commission of one or more criminal activities; (ii) which has an identifiable name or identifying sign or symbol; and (iii) whose members individually or collectively have engaged in the commission of, attempt to commit, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation of two or more predicate criminal acts, at least one of which is an act of violence, provided such acts were not part of a common act or transaction.

Gangs may be organized on the basis of race, ethnicity, or geographical location.

Gangs can affect anyone, regardless of age, where they live or what school they attend. Young people from all walks of life join gangs. Some gang members drop out of school, while others may be excellent students.

Research shows that the following factors are common indicators that a young person may be involved in gang activity:

Youth admits to gang membership

Is under 21 years of age and is identified as a gang member by a parent/guardian.

Is identified as a gang member by a reliable source.

Resides in or frequents a known gang area, uses a gang's hand signs, colors, or tattoos, and/or associates with known gang members.

Has been arrested more then once with or in the company of known gang members for crimes that are consistent with gang activity.

A gang often meets needs that go unfulfilled in other areas of a young person's life. The gang may provide a sense of security, loyalty, structure and discipline that may be missing at home. The following is a list of reasons that may lead a young person to join a gang:

The following are some common indicators to look for if you suspect an individual may be involved in gang activity. These indicators are not a guarantee that an individual is involved in a gang. The only way to know for sure is by communicating.

Changing hair or dress styles/having a group of friends with the same styles.

Changing normal routines/not coming home after school/staying out late at night.

Drawing graffiti.

Drawings/homework with the letters "B" or "C" crossed-out, inverted or used improperly. Using gang hand signs.

Frequent contact with police.

Frequent disciplinary problems at home/school.

Increased conflict at home.

Large amount of unsupervised time.

Not associating with long time friends/secretive about new friends/activities.

There are numerous resources available in Newport News to assist in getting out of a gang. Government and civic organizations have developed gang prevention and intervention programs to address the lures of the gangster lifestyle such as;

The NNVA 311 mobile app is a service available to all visitors and citizens of the City of Newport News. This app allows you to submit a service request via your smartphone by simply installing the app, selecting the appropriate service request type, identifying the location of the incident and answering a few questions that pertain to the type of service request you selected.

This app works the same way other mobile apps do. Tap the icon on the home page of the app to create a “New Request”; find “Recent” service requests that have been entered via Smartphone; see other service requests you have created under “My Requests”; see your favorite service requests under “My Favorites”; and register your contact information by tapping the “Reporter” icon and completing the requested information.

Your phone’s GPS will automatically find your location and use that as the problem location. To change the location, press and hold the map marker to drag it to the desired address. Then click OK at the top right of the screen.

If you take a photo of the problem and then change your location before submitting the report, be sure to point the map marker to the correct location of the problem.

Once you have selected the service request type, tap the camera icon. The app will ask whether you want to take a photo or select a photo from pictures already on your phone. Tap the option you want. The app will either bring up your phone’s camera feature (so you can take a photo) or will display the photos stored on your phone. Taking a photo or tapping a photo already on your camera will automatically attach it to your request.

You can decide whether you want the location & type of the service request you submit to be shared with other app users or remain visible only to you & the City. Sharing with the public will let others know that the issue has already been reported.

Based on the city and State Code it is illegal to parking on the following locations:

On A crosswalk (marked or unmarked). A crosswalk is considered to be the extension of sidewalk boundary lines across a street or at any location where crosswalks are marked with white lines. (City Code Sec. 26-108)

In such a way that you block or create a hazard for vehicles in a designated traffic lane. (State Code 46.2-888)

When parking on a public road, move as far from traffic as possible. If you park on a roadside shoulder, pull as far on to it as possible. If you park next to a curb, pull close to it. Always park on the right side of the roadway unless it is a 1 way street.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

The city has a program that is designed to mitigate excessive non-residential parking within a community. Typically, the Residential Parking Permit Program (RPPP) has applications around schools and the shipyard. However, a program can be established in any residential area provided the program requirements are satisfied.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

When a problem occurs the resident should call the city to request a copy of the required RPPP Petition. The petition is required to be signed by residents representing at least 75% residential properties that have frontage on the block(s) that desires the program. After the petition is reviewed by the city a study is conducted to determine if 75% of the on street parking spaces are occupied and if of the spaces occupied if 25% of those are from outside the community.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

The Transportation Division of Engineering has a program to allow the designation of an on-street Handicap Parking Space in front of a private residence. However, authorization criteria required the resident not have a driveway. The application for a designated space can be obtained by calling the Engineering Department at 757-933-2311.

It should be noted that the designation of a handicap parking space does not reserve that space just for the requesting resident. It is a public street and any vehicle with the proper tags or placard can park in any handicap parking space.

Parking is permitted within a cul-de-sac however, City Code Sec. 26-113 and 26-114 requires parking to be parallel to the curb. Therefore you can not park head on or backed up to the curb. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

City Code Sec. 26-121 states that it shall be unlawful to park a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 1 ton upon any street in the City for a period longer than two hours unless it is in front or to the side of a building used as a place of business by the owner of the vehicle or the vehicle is actively being loaded or unloaded.

Additionally, City Code Sec. 26-126.1 states that any vehicle whose overall length exceeds 20 feet, or whose overall width exceeds 8 feet or whose overall height exceeds 8 feet can not park on a residential street from 7 PM - 6 AM, on Monday through Thursday and from 6 PM on Friday to 6 AM the following Monday.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

City Code Sec. 26-119 states that it shall be unlawful to place or park a motor vehicle or trailer upon any sidewalk in the city. Sidewalks are part of the public street and can not be blocked by any part of a vehicle or trailer. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

You can park where the city has designated on street parking spaces with lines or other markings, city Code Sec. 26-116 states that a parked vehicle must be within the limits of the lines or markings. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Except where the on street parking has marked spaces, City Code Sec. 26-114 indicates that you must leave at least 3 feet between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you and that the wheels closest to the curb can not be any further than 12 inches from the curb. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

A loading zone is simply a portion of the street next to a curb in front or to the sides of stores, warehouses and places of business where merchandise or material is unloaded or loaded and is designated and marked with signage as a No Parking – Loading Zone. No vehicles, except ones used for the act of loading or unloading merchandise or material, are allowed to park in a loading zone between the hours designated on the sign. (City Code Sec. 26-124)

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

If the parking fine is paid within the 30 business days, you may deduct $5 ($25 for handicap parking) from the ticket total.

For example, I have a $20 parking ticket for overtime. I pay within 5 business days, I write a check for $15. If you pay after 5 business days, the deduction is not allowed.

If a parking fine is not paid within 30 days a Law Enforcement Notice is sent. After 30 days an additional $25 fine is levied on the parking ticket and an approximate, 15 days later, a summons is issued.

Once a summons has been issued, payment may not be accepted by the Treasurer's Office. You must appear before the Records Management Division of the Police Department (9710 Jefferson Ave., 757-928-4100 between the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday) to have the summons served. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

No. The cashier will view the postmark date, so that you will not be penalized if the payment arrives after the fifth business day. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Since it is after the 5th business day, your payment and parking ticket will be returned to you. We do not accept partial payments on parking fines. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

You should contact the Records Management Division of the Police Department at 757-926-8794 from 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. The Treasurer's Office only accepts payment. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the above mentioned office.

The Easy Pay program allows residents the ease and convenience of pre-authorized tax payments, providing you an opportunity to tailor your tax payments to your monthly, quarterly, or due date budget. You will no longer need to worry about remembering to make your payment or about lost payments. The Easy Pay program allows residents the ease and convenience of pre-authorized tax payments, providing you an opportunity to tailor your tax payments to your monthly, quarterly, or due date budget. You will no longer need to worry about remembering to make your payment or about lost payments.

Upon completion of the authorization form, the city notifies your financial institution that you wish to have your tax payments drawn directly from your checking or savings account. Each month, quarter, or due date we will notify your financial institution of the amount that must be subtracted from your account. Your financial institution will then automatically withdraw this amount and forward it to the city.

Since January 1, 1999, the citizens of Newport News are able to electronically deduct a set amount from their bank, savings and loan or credit union account automatically. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

The automatic payment plan works like a check in every way. Instead of receiving a canceled check with your monthly statement, the payment will appear as a line item on your statement. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Your account will be debited on the 5th of each month or quarter, or you may choose to have the full amount of tax debited on the tax due date. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

The choice is yours. You may allow the city to estimate the monthly, quarterly, or due date tax payment in order to pay your tax in full upon the tax due date or you may select a monthly debit amount to accommodate your budget. However, if a balance remains on the due date, it is your responsibility to pay the remaining balance in full.

If a new vehicle has been acquired or a vehicle has been disposed of, please notify the Treasurer's Office so that your Easy Pay account may be adjusted to show an increase or decrease of your debit amount. Be sure to indicate on the notice of acquisition or disposal that you are participating in the Easy Pay Program. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

You can cancel the Easy Pay program at any time. Just provide your cancel notification in writing before the 2nd of the month to ensure a stop is placed on the pre-authorized debit. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

The Easy Check program allows individuals the ease and convenience of pre-authorized tax payments, via a secured web page, providing you an opportunity to make your tax payments electronically. You will no longer need to worry about remembering to mail your payments. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Upon completion of the authorization form, the city notifies your financial institution that you wish to have your tax payment(s) drawn directly from your checking or savings account electronically. Your Financial Institution will then withdraw the amount you authorize and forward it to the city, which will apply it to the tax account(s) which you have chosen.

The automatic payment plan works like a check in every way. Instead of receiving a canceled check with your monthly statement, the payment will appear as a line item on your statement. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Your account may be debited on the same date you submit your authorization, or up to 5 working days after your submission. Authorization received on tax due dates will be processed that working day. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

You may select to pay all your accounts in full, or you may select an amount which accommodates your budget. However, if a balance remains on the due date, it is your responsibility to pay the remaining balance in full. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

You may cancel Easy Check at any time. Each time you use the service is considered a separate occurrence. If you no longer wish to pay with Easy Check, simply do not submit any more requests. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

If you wish to pay by credit card, we have implemented a new program, provided by Invoice Cloud, by which credit card payments may be processed over the telephone (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), or over the Internet. Pay from the convenience of your home or office. This program accepts Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover / Novus.

The fee is based upon the size of the transaction. Normally, the fee is 2.75% of the total with a minimum charge of $2.95. Please note that all fees are paid to Invoice Cloud for the cost of providing this service. The City of Newport News does not retain any portion of this fee.

Personal Property Taxes are those taxes which are assessed on cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers, buses, mobile homes, motor homes, boats, boat motors and aircraft. Taxes are assessed by the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Vehicles registered in Newport News are taxable. Vehicles not registered with the Commonwealth of Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles or Newport News are subject to tax if the vehicle is garaged, stored or parked in Newport News for more than 30 days, with the exception of those exempted by law. An example of an exemption would be active duty military non-resident (legal home of record other than Virginia).

Vehicle personal property tax is assessed by the Commissioner of the Revenue. Assessments are based on the average loan value listed in the N.A.D.A. (National Automobile Dealers Association Official Used Car Guide). The minimal assessment is $200. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), a federal act, sets forth that any person in the military service is exempt from taxation by all states except their home state or political subdivision. Vehicles registered in the name of the active military person only, are exempt from Personal Property Taxes. If a vehicle is jointly owned, and the spouse or other person named is non-military, the vehicle is taxable.

The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, effective November 11, 2009, amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Spouses of active duty military members who have vehicles titled in their name or jointly with the service member may be exempt from personal property tax if certain conditions are met. Please contact the Commissioner of the Revenue at 757-926-8657 for more information.

The answer is yes, you are taxable. Leased vehicles are not owned by the person but by the lease company. Therefore, they are taxable. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Personal Property Taxes are normally due twice a year (June 5 and December 5). If a vehicle is registered late, a date other than June 5 or December 5, is the due date for your Personal Property Taxes for that period only. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Your Personal Property Tax is delinquent the day after the due date. At that time an automatic 10% penalty is added, based on original assessed value. After 1 month interest begins to accrue. Late payments remitted without the appropriate penalties and interest will be considered partial payments. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

If you want to pay but due to circumstances are unable, contact the Delinquent Section of the Treasurer's Office 757-926-8731. They will work with you on paying your taxes within a reasonable time period. They may not relieve the penalties and interest, but they can forestall any legal action.

First off, welcome to our great city! In order to receive your tax bill in a timely manner, you must notify in writing the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue of your change of address. If you fail to contact the Commissioner's Office and do not receive your tax bill, you will still be responsible for any late payment penalties and interest.

Please notify the Commissioner of Revenue's Office in writing of your residence and the date you moved from Newport News. Your tax bill will be prorated accordingly and a corrected bill will be mailed to you.

Please provide a copy of the new state registration on your vehicle. Your vehicle remains taxable to Newport News until it is registered in the other state. Please mail or fax to the Commissioner of the Revenue at:

The PPTRA provides tax relief to citizens and their families on a portion of personal property taxes paid on the first $20,000 of value for qualifying vehicles. Personal Property tax on vehicles valued at $1,000 or less has been eliminated and the Commonwealth's Share is 100%. For 2002 the Commonwealth's Share is 70% of the personal property tax bill for qualifying vehicles.

The Personal Property Tax Relief Act of 1998 provides tax relief for any passenger car, motorcycle, or pickup or panel truck having a registered gross weight of less than 7,501 pounds. The vehicle must be owned and leased by an individual and not for business purposes. A vehicle is considered to be used for business purposes if:

More than 50% of the depreciation associated with the vehicle is deducted as a business expense for Federal Income Tax

More than 50% of the mileage for the year is used as a business expense for Federal Income Tax purposes or reimbursed by an employer

The cost of the vehicle is expended pursuant to Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Service Code

The vehicle is leased by an individual and the leasing company pays the tax without reimbursement from the individual

Vehicles qualified for tax relief are noted on your tax bill and show a reduction for the portion of the tax the Commonwealth will pay. For qualified vehicles, your tax bill is reduced by the applicable tax relief percentage for the tax year on the first $20,000 of value. The city of Newport News will be reimbursed by the Commonwealth for the amount of the reduction once you have paid the balance due shown on your bill.

If your qualifying vehicle's assessed value is $1,000 or less, your tax has been eliminated and the Commonwealth's share is 100%. Tax relief is calculated using the city of Newport News effective rate in effect on August 1, 1997.

You are required to certify annually to the city of Newport News that your vehicle remains qualified to receive car tax relief. Therefore, it is important that you review the information sent to you by your locality to be sure that your vehicles are properly qualified. This information may be included on items such as personal property tax returns, decal applications or tax bills.

If your vehicle is improperly qualified or you are uncertain whether your vehicle would be eligible for car tax relief because it is used part of the time for business purposes, contact the Office of the Commissioner of Revenue at 757-926-8657. When you display your city of Newport News decal and pay your taxes on qualified vehicles, you are certifying to the city of Newport News that your vehicle has been qualified correctly.

Red Light Photo Enforcement reduces crashes at monitored intersections approximately 24%. The technology tends to produce generalized changes in driver behavior, so violations and crashes decline throughout the area where cameras are used, not just at the specific intersections equipped with cameras. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; IIHS, 2011)

Each year red light violations account for 6% of the total traffic summonses issued by officers in our city. Newport News police officers issued 1,121 red light violation summonses in 2010, 1,242, and red light violation summonses in 2011 (a decrease from 2,095 summonses in 2008, prior to PhotoSafe). Cameras act as a force multiplier for the Police Department. The cameras will contribute to public safety at their designated locations 24 hours a day and free the police officer to address other community issues.

Cameras reduce the danger of red light enforcement to officers and the public. Officers trying to enforce red light violations may have to travel against traffic, increasing the likelihood of a collision. The police department does not have enough officers to enforce every intersection 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The camera has the ability to capture violations in the absence of officers.

No. Cameras are set so that only those vehicles that enter the intersection after the light has turned red are photographed. Vehicles entering the intersection on yellow and are still in the intersection when the light turns red are not photographed. The camera system only takes pictures when a violation occurs.

Virginia State Code 15.2­-968.1 mandates the violation as a driver responsibility. It is presumed that the owner of the vehicle was the driver at the time of the violation. Red light violations are handled similar to a parking violation. There is no insurance liability and no DMV implication or points associated with the driver or owner of the vehicle. By law, the civil fine cannot exceed $50.

Legislation enacted by the 2007 General Assembly requires that localities place conspicuous signs within 500 feet of the intersection where a red light running camera is installed. Localities also are required to conduct a public awareness program advising the public that a photo enforcement system is being implemented or expanded. All intersections are listed on the PHOTOSafe information webpage.

Special circumstances such as a funeral processions will be rejected by officers. Emergency vehicle generated violations (Police, Fire, EMS) will be reviewed by officers in the interest of public safety. All violations are screened and reviewed individually before a determination of a violation of law or policy is made.

All violations are reviewed and certified by a sworn Police Officer. Any vehicle that enters an intersection, including the crosswalks, after the light has turned red is in violation and subject to fine.

The City of Newport News Department of Traffic Engineering is responsible for determining the traffic light timing intervals. Times at signals is determined based on variables such as the posted speed limit, typical deceleration rates of vehicles, the grade of the road (uphill or downhill), the width of the intersection, and the amount of time it takes a driver to see the yellow signal and react (perception­ and reaction time). All traffic signal timing has been evaluated and approved by the department of traffic engineering and reviewed by VDOT in accordance with VDOT guidelines.

No. The objective of the PHOTOSafe enforcement program is to improve intersection safety. Signs and publicity campaigns required by the 2007 General Assembly warn motorists that photo enforcement is in use. Revenue is generated by penalties paid by drivers who continue to run red lights. Penalties for red light violations in Virginia are limited to $50 per violation by legislation. Independent audits of red light camera enforcement across the country have found that these programs generally do not generate excess revenue. Camera equipment costs vary based on the type of camera, the complexity of the intersection, and technical requirements.

A typical red light camera system with installation, maintenance, and monitoring costs more than $100,000. The City of Newport News will incur limited financial liability (no up­front costs) and will maintain a “cost neutral” program. The monetary impact to the city is a fixed monthly fee paid to the camera company. The camera company does not get paid on a per ticket basis. Newport News tax payers and law abiding (or safe drivers) will not absorb the cost of the automated systems. In short, the violators alone will pay for the cameras.

Yes. Virginia law requires all vehicles to stop on a red light signal. Right turns on red are permitted unless otherwise posted. The camera will capture right turn violations on vehicles that proceed without coming to a full stop. The sensors will detect violations in the right turn lanes being monitored and activate the photo enforcement system. Officers will review each captured offense and determine if the vehicle stopped and proceeded safely in accordance with Virginia law.

The photo enforcement system captures the violation. The contracted company reviews and validates the violation and sends it to the police department. A sworn law enforcement officer reviews the evidence captured by the system and either accepts the violation for civil penalty or dismisses the violation due to circumstances that are either acquired by the monitoring system or observed in the video evidence. If the officer accepts the violation, he or she will then obtain the vehicle owner’s information for mailing of the notice and $50 fine. The registered owner of the vehicle will receive the violation notice in the mail with instructions for viewing the violation.

You will be provided with three still photographs of your vehicle on the printed violation notice. You can review the red light violation via the internet. You can access your violation by entering your violation and license plate numbers and the city code (NPTNVA). Both video and still photo evidence is available for review. The owner/driver can arrange for an opportunity to meet with a PHOTOSafe program officer to review the evidence and discuss the red light running violation. Lastly, the vehicle owner/driver can request a court date for the evidence to be heard in the Newport News General District Traffic Court. The court arrangements will be made by a PHOTOSafe officer.

Red light running is a violation of the law at every signalized intersection in the City of Newport News. The warning period only applies to the use of the automated enforcement camera system. The 30-day warning period is considered a part of the public awareness process for implementing or expanding the automated enforcement program.

Drivers are not given a “free pass” because it is a city owned vehicle. The driver is responsible for the operation of the vehicle and each matter is handled as a personnel issue, resulting in implications up to termination of employment.

The assessor does not determine the tax rate and the real estate tax. The real estate tax rate is determined each year by the City Council. The amount of real estate tax is determined by multiplying the assessed value by the tax rate. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

The assessor does not set assessment policy. The assessor's duties are administrative and subject to judicial review. In simple terms, the assessor follows legal guidelines in listing and valuing real estate for taxation; if a citizen(s) feels the assessor is not acting legally, remedial action may be sought in a court of law. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

The assessor does not control the amount of taxes collected. The assessor has nothing to do with the total amount of taxes collected. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

Routine property maintenance will not increase your assessment. Generally, only those items which materially enhance the value of the property, or repairs that recapture a loss in value that has been previously recognized in a lower assessment, result in an increased assessment. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

The assessed value of all buildings, which are demolished, is deducted from the total assessment quarterly following completion of demolition. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

All additions and alterations to existing properties are inspected and subject to being assessed on a quarterly basis when completed. If the addition is considered substantially complete, the assessment will be made effective as of that date. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

When any change is made in the total assessment of a property, the property owner is notified of the new value in writing by the Assessor. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

It is fair for your assessment to increase at a rate greater than the city average. The city average can be misleading. The city has in excess of 50,000 parcels of real estate which increase at different rates, depending on the location. The city average is a composite of all these different rates; therefore, the average rate of increase is not a true reflection for any specific parcel.

Each assessment is established according to fair market value on July 1. This is a legal mandate and the assessor has no authority to cap assessments at a certain percentage increase, or use an average factor to adjust assessments. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

All properties are viewed annually. More detailed inspections are conducted for any addition or alteration or upon request of the property owner. If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

This is not always the case. Fair market value is, in effect, an analysis of sales prices. Every buyer and seller operates under unique motivations and a differing skill level. A sale price is that point measured in dollars where two parties are willing to strike an agreement. Many times, very similar properties sell for divergent prices. The assessor must apply the general market indications of value to specific parcels of real estate.

If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

There are many ideas regarding how the assessment process should work. Our elected officials write laws that the assessor must administer. The assessor administers the assessment process in accordance with the Code of Virginia and the Code of Newport News which require all assessments to be based on fair market value with no consideration given as to the ownership or personal circumstances involved.

The assessor has no authority to reduce or abate assessments for the above mentioned reasons. If the assessor were allowed to make such reductions, there could be no uniformity or equity in the assessment system. While assessments cannot be reduced, real estate tax relief may be granted if certain requirements are met. Additional information concerning the requirements for this program may be obtained by calling the Commissioner of the Revenue at 757-926-3535.

Only sales that are arm's length transactions are considered when determining a property's value. Reasons that a sale may not be considered in the analysis are numerous. One property may have sold for more than it is worth because the buyer was in a hurry and would pay any price. Another may have sold for less than it is worth because the owner needed cash right away and was willing to sell to the first buyer who made an offer. Other examples include foreclosure sale, short sale, divorce settlement, etc.

If you have any questions, please email the Real Estate Assessor's Office.

Real Estate Taxes are those taxes which are paid upon land and improvements. Taxes are assessed by the Real Estate Assessor's Office. Real Estate Taxes aid in supporting the many services provided by the City of Newport News. Police and fire protection, schools, parks, playgrounds, libraries and refuse pick up are but a few of the services provided.

Properties are assessed once a year by the Real Estate Assessor's Office. All inquiries should be directed to that office at 757-926-1926. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Real Estate Taxes are normally due December 5 and June 5. Real Estate Taxes are based on a fiscal year. If improvements are done to the land, these may be assessed on a supplemental bill. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

All mortgage companies are sent letters requesting that they contact us concerning real estate tax bills that they wish to pay. These bills are automatically sent to the requesting mortgage company. If a mortgage company does not request a real estate bill, the bill is automatically sent to the homeowner. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

You should automatically contact your mortgage company. Do not send the bill back to the Treasurer's Office. We may only send mortgage companies the Real Estate Tax bills that they have requested. We cannot send a Real Estate Tax bill that has not been requested.

If you have received a delinquent bill, this means that your mortgage company did not request your account or did not pay the tax bill. All delinquent notices are sent to the homeowner. You should contact your mortgage company and ask why they did not request / pay your account. Then call the Treasurer's Office and speak with a person from the Mortgage Company section via phone at757-926-8642.

If you are delinquent on your account, contact the Delinquent Department of the Treasurer's Office at 757-926-8731 concerning a payment plan. However, if an account becomes more than 2 years delinquent, that property may be sent to an outside attorney's office for collection or sale of the property for back taxes. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

The Stormwater Management Fee is a fee charged by the City of Newport News to develop and maintain an infrastructure of man-made and natural components to both limit and manage the volume of stormwater runoff to control flood events and, through stormwater pollution control measures, to prevent degradation of the city's waterways. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

For a question concerning Stormwater Management, you should contact the Department of Engineering at 757-926-8303. If the question concerns payment of the Stormwater Management Fee, contact the Treasurer's Office at 757-926-8643.

Only recyclables inside the recycling cart can be collected. Anything placed outside of the cart will be left behind. Cardboard should be placed inside the cart and flattened to a size no larger than 3’ x 3’. Extra recyclables can be taken to one of the 6 drop-off sites located throughout the city:

Please call 757-933-2311 so that a new lid can be put on your blue cart, free of charge, within 5 business days. You may leave your cart in its normal storage location as long as it is accessible (not locked behind a gate or in a garage).

Please check first to make sure your container does not have a green tag notifying you of any reason why your container may have been rejected. If there is no tag, it is likely that your container was accidentally missed. Please call 757-933-2311 so that we can have the contractor empty your container.

If you consistently find that your container is not large enough for the amount of recyclables your household generates, first let’s determine if you are recycling properly. Below is a list of some items that people incorrectly place in their recycling containers:

Styrofoam

Yard waste (please compost)

Wood

Metals other than household cans

Plastic bags (please take to the grocery store to recycle)

Plastics other than bottles, jugs and jars

Clothing and/or shoes (please donate if still in good condition)

If you are recycling correctly, and you consistently find that your recycling container is not large enough, we can provide a 2nd black recycling bin if you receive manual collection with an 18-gallon black bin, or we can upgrade your blue recycling cart from 64-gallon to 95-gallon. Residents who already have a 95 gallon cart, who are recycling properly, and still need more recycling space on a consistent basis can get a second recycling cart. There is no charge for this nor does it affect the Solid Waste fee. Please call 757-933-2311 for more information.

Trash that is placed in the recycling containers can contaminate a load of recyclables or jam up the processing equipment. That is why recycling containers found to be contaminated with trash will be rejected and tagged to notify the resident of the contaminant. Residents who repeatedly abuse the recycling program by placing trash inside their containers after notification could lose their access to the curbside recycling program.

Recycling is encouraged but not mandatory. Upon request, the city will retrieve the recycling container from your household, but you will only be able to recycle by using the drop off recycling centers.

No, yard waste placed inside the recycling container is considered contamination and the container will not be emptied. For information on yard waste, call 757-933-2311, or the Compost Facility at 757-886-7947.

When a person has written a returned check, the person will automatically owe the amount of the check (in addition to penalties and interest, if applicable) plus a $35 Return Check Fee. After 1 week, it is the amount of the check (in addition to penalties and interest, if applicable) plus a $50 Return Check Fee.

If the returned check is not redeemed within 1 month, legal action will be initiated. This may include a lien against your checking account, a tax lien to your employer for your wages to be garnished, placing a DMV stop (which effectively denies your renewing your drivers license or tags for any of your vehicles) or the issuing of a warrant-in-debt for you to appear in Civil Court.

All of these will incur additional cost to you. The returned check must be paid in cash, certified check or money order. You may not pay using another check.

Class 1 Site Plan: The fees for the submission of Class 1 site plans are $375 + $130 per acre or part thereof. The first resubmission of the plan is without charge. Subsequent submissions of a Class 1 site plan are $250 for each submission. The fees for the inspection of a Class 1 plan are $125 + $125 per acre of part thereof.

Class 2 Site Plan: The fees for the submission of a Class 2 site plan are $220. The first resubmission of the plan is without charge. Subsequent submissions of a Class 2 site plan are $100 for each submission. The fees for the inspection of a Class 1 plan are $35.

Development Plans:The fees for submission of a preliminary development plan are $250 + $10 per lot. The fee for resubmission of a preliminary development plan is $275.The fees for the submission of a development plan are $400 + $30 per lot. The fee for resubmission of a development plan is $275. The fee for phasing an approved development plan is $100. The fee for submission of a preliminary plat is $200 + $20 per lot. The fees for recordation of a subdivision plat are determined upon completion of review.

The rates for sewer connection are available at Sewer Rates. Come to the Engineering Permits Office at 2400 Washington Avenue 8th Floor of City Hall, and pay tap fees. All residential homes are charged a connection fee and lateral installation fee.

Commercial properties, please contact the Site and Subdivision Office for fee calculation at 757-933-2311.

Permit Qualifications Permits are issued only to those individuals who supply the proper identification, and each permit is identified with a specific vehicle. You cannot obtain a permit for someone else's vehicle and no one else can get one for your vehicle; this is for your own protection and is applied equally to all requests. In some cases, such as military, the type of identification required and proof of residency may vary; but, for most requests, identification is required through: 1. The driver's license for each registered driver in the household, which must reflect the address in the RPPP area2. The vehicle registration, which must reflect the same address as on the driver's license, for each vehicle requiring a permit; and3. Proof of residency, which usually can be demonstrated by providing a lease agreement, a rent receipt or utility bill that contains your name and the same address in the RPPP area as the other two items Temporary Passes Temporary passes, which are valid for a maximum of 72 hours, are issued at the Police Department offices at the Police Headquarters Building, which is located at 9710 Jefferson Avenue.Residential Parking Permit Information

What is needed is insurance naming the City of Newport News additionally insured, a bond and 3 copies of traffic control plans for right of way; An approved Erosion and Sediment Control Plan, Site Plan or Agreement in Lieu of Plan, bond and responsible land disturber certificate for land disturbance permit. If you have any questions, please email Engineering.

In order to have a bond released, a letter or an email will need to be sent to the appropriate Site and Subdivision Office of Engineering requesting such. For Right-of-way bonds to be released, please contact the permits office at 757-933-2311. For the release of land disturbance bonds, please email the Permits Office and provide the bond number, the amount of the bond and for the project it was assigned.

Traffic engineers and police officers examine many traffic and road conditions to determine a reasonable speed limit. These include number and type of crashes, speed of vehicles and number of cars, pedestrians, and bicycles. Also considered are physical conditions of the road such as sidewalks, hills, curves, lanes, driveways, intersections, roadway surfaces and traffic controls.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Posting speed limits lower than the 85th percentile speed does not result in voluntary motorist compliance with the posted speed limit unless there is strict, continuous and visible enforcement. Increased enforcement is effective only at the immediate time and in the area where the police officer is present. The availability of police officers is limited and their services must be shared with other police responsibilities. If unusually low speed limits are not vigorously enforced, they will be consistently violated and will breed disregard for speed limits in general.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

While some drivers drive faster than the speed limit, this is not true of everyone. Experience shows that 85% of the drivers adhere to properly established speed limits which they feel are reasonable, comfortable and safe for conditions at the time. This is what we call the 85th percentile speed. This is the speed at, or below which, 85% of the traffic moves. Police officers can then target their speed enforcement efforts at the remaining 15% of drivers who are not in compliance with the speed limit.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

When the majority of drivers respect the posted speed limit, enforcement can be directed at drivers who exceed the speed limit. When enforcement is directed at these drivers, voluntary compliance increases, resulting in a lower percentage of violators. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

No, lower speed limits do not necessarily improve safety. The more uniform the speeds of vehicles in a traffic stream, the less chance there is for conflict and crashes. Posting speed limits lower or higher than what the majority of drivers are traveling produces 2 distinct groups of drivers: those attempting to observe the limit and those driving at what they feel is reasonable and prudent. These differences in speeds may result in increased crashes due to tailgating, improper passing, reckless driving and weaving from lane to lane.

Inappropriately established speed limits also foster disregard for other speed limits, traffic signs and signals, and contribute to driver frustration. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Installing signs is only effective if a hazard is not already obvious to the reasonably safe driver. Drivers are generally aware that they are in a residential area and do not require signs to notify them of this fact. Improper use of these signs conveys a false sense of security to residents and does nothing to improve safety.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Traffic control devices are designed and installed to solve a particular problem. When they are misused for speed control purposes, they are ineffective and may create a hazard. For example, stop signs are designed to control traffic at busy intersections. When used to reduce speed, motorists roll through them, then increase their speed between such signs.

Traffic signals are designed to control traffic at busy intersections or to reduce broadside crashes. When misused, they may cause drivers to speed up to “beat the light” and may increase crashes. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

After a serious crash, speeding is often assumed to be the cause. This may not always be true. While crash experience is 1 of the factors considered in establishing speed limits, it is not the only 1 or even the major 1. The prevailing 85th percentile speed is the primary factor used to establish a proper speed limit, even if there have been no crashes.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Speed limits are based upon studies of driving speeds: yours, your neighbors, and a percentage of everyone traveling on a roadway. Please obey the speed limit, not only on your street but on all streets and highways. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Other Jurisdictions - Other governmental entities, including volunteer fire or rescue departments, and certain not-for-profit organizations should check with the city's surplus agent at 757-926-3090 or via email for materials that may become available prior to public sale. Items not yet listed for public sale may be purchased directly by governmental agencies and non-profits prior to public sale. The city reserves the right to withdraw any item from sale at any time.

City Employees - City employees may purchase surplus under the following conditions:

Up to $500 for items from departments that the employee does not work in.

The employee may not purchase items that are from his/her own department, regardless of value.

Office of Purchasing employees can not purchase anything from the city.

Sometimes a picture of the item will be included with the item description (whether it's an online auction or a sealed bid). For certain items (e.g., vehicles and heavy equipment), a date is made available during which anyone interested in seeing the items may do so. Otherwise, items are not made available for inspection.

When buying through an online auction or a sealed bid, payment must be in the exact amount of the sale (including a buyer's premium if applicable) by cash, certified check, or money order made out to the City of Newport News. Personal or business checks will not be accepted unless certified. The city does not accept credit or debit cards in payment for surplus equipment.

Live auctions handled by an outside party may be paid according to the terms published and announced by the auctioneer. This may require a deposit with full payment to follow prior to release of the item(s). Those payments are not made payable to the city, but to the company handling the auction.

The city makes no warranties or guarantees, expressed or implied, as to the actual condition or quality of the items offered or fitness for a particular purpose or for use in general. The responsibility as to the condition of the property rests with the bidder. Under no circumstances will a refund or adjustment be made on account of property failing to meet bidder’s expectations. Sale is "as is, where is" without warranty. There is no guarantee or warranty on the part of the city as to the condition or quality, or that the property offered, or a portion thereof, may not be withdrawn prior to the sale. Except as stated in a specific bid solicitation, no service of any kind will be furnished by the city, and any cost of removing property from the site shall be assumed by the bidder.

The city‘s Neighborhood Traffic Management and Calming Program offers various options which are divided into 4 categories to reflect the levels of cost and traffic flow restriction. The levels are based on the volume of traffic and road characteristics.

Level 1 (Local road with less than 500 vehicles per day): does not involve physical changes to the street, can be implemented by the city, and include such items as education, deploying a radar speed trailer to allow drivers to monitor their traffic speeds, directed police enforcement, posting signs to restrict commercial vehicles from using the street or restricting certain maneuvers such as right turns.

Level 2 (Local road with 500 to 3,500 or Collector road with 500 to 7,000 vehicles per day): builds on Level 1 options but may also include making a physical change to the street to affect traffic operations using such devices as road narrowing, speed humps or turn restriction medians.

Level 3 (Local road with greater than 3,500 vehicles per day): primarily applies to those local residential streets that are the main streets in the community and funnel the traffic onto and off of the adjoining collector roads and/or arterial highways.Due to this need to concentrate traffic flow, only Level 1 improvements or other alternate actions may be used. No diversionary physical devices (devices that limit or force certain turns) are permitted to redirect traffic flow.

Level 4 (Collector road with greater than 7,000 vehicles per day): roads identified by use are critical elements in the overall transportation system and may only use Level 3 measures.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Requests for traffic calming measures will be considered if all of the following criteria are met:

Local Streets

Posted speed limit does not exceed 25 miles per hour.

Street must be zoned primarily as residential use.

A minimum rate of residential development of 15 dwellings fronting the street per 1,000' of roadway.

Collector Streets

Posted speed limit does not exceed 30 miles per hour.

Street does not serve as primary or dedicated access to commercial or industrial sites.

A minimum rate of residential development of 10 dwellings fronting the street per 1,000 feet of roadway.

If the conditions are not met, special consideration may be given to those locations where historic districts, school zones or frequent special event traffic warrants management consideration of endorsed traffic calming as a viable solution. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Typically, the following process will be used by the city to address neighborhood traffic concerns:

A resident alerts the city about a problem area that specifically involves speeding or cut-through traffic.

The city provides information to the resident on the options available (like this pamphlet). Typically this information is mailed to the resident.

At the same time the city will evaluate the streets eligibility and review preliminary traffic data-typical prevailing speeds and volumes. Upon completion, the city sends a second letter to the resident providing them with the findings and critical next step information.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Traffic calming devices selected for consideration will be those appropriate for the type of problem identified. The Department of Engineering will field investigate those requests where a street is determined to both eligible and a petition of support is received by the Director of Engineering. With speeding concerns, the 85th percentile speed must be 8 or more miles per hour over the speed limit. (The 85th percentile speed is the speed at which 85 percent of the traffic is traveling at or below.) Speed samples will be recorded for a 24-hour period.

Cut-through traffic concerns must satisfy one of the following conditions:

Cut-through traffic represents 40% or more of the total one-hour volume and a minimum 150 cut-through trips occur in one hour.

Cut-through traffic represents 40% or more of the total volume for two consecutive hours.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

During this process 2 petitions will be required, the Petition for Traffic Calming and the Petition for Master Plan Support (both of which are obtained from the city). At the first neighborhood meeting the city will ask that a Petition for Traffic Calming be signed by the residents representing at least 75% of the impacted area of concern. This establishes general support for the program.

Once the problem is defined,the city (working with the neighborhood task force) will develop a plan of action. When possible, all measures are monitored for a period of not less than 60 days so that the impacts to the community can be ascertained. After this trial period the second petition,the Petition for Master Plan Support will need to signed by the residents representing at least 75% of the impacted area of concern. With this support, and approval from the city Manager, the project will move to the final phase of implementation.

A local road with less than 500 vehicles per day does not involve physical changes to the street, can be implemented by the city, and include such items as education, deploying a radar speed trailer to allow drivers to monitor their traffic speeds, directed police enforcement, posting signs to restrict commercial vehicles from using the street or restricting certain maneuvers such as right turns. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

You need to include the exact location of the traffic device, date and time of the accident, your telephone number, and any other facts that may help in the investigation. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

Yes, the cost is $50 per request and must be included in the letter requesting the information. Please make checks payable to the City of Newport News. A receipt will be provided with the response. There may be additional charges for maps and detailed investigations.

If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

The normal turnaround time for processing a request for information is 30 days. Please make sure your request is received in time to prepare a response prior to your court date. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

No, the employees do not testify in court. The response prepared is a summary of the maintenance, installation, timing, and sequence of the traffic control device. If you have any questions, please email the Department of Engineering.

A discount airline is a start up company that offers low fares for those who are not able to travel often. The fares may be less than major airlines but the discount airline may charge additional fees. Even with the extra fees the flight may be cheaper than flying on a commercial airline.

Extra charges would be for a carry on bag, checked luggage or preferred seating. An example of preferred seating would be when two people travel together and a fee is charged when they request to be seated together.

In this rare circumstance, we would give an advance for the amount of the per diem that would have been given for the travel time. The traveler would purchase the meal ticket and reimburse the City if the ticket was less than the advanced amount given or we would reimburse the traveler if the ticket cost was more than the advanced amount.

If a meal ticket is provided the traveler would not receive per diem for that time period. Lodging at a facility/housing (example: a military base or dorm) would not permit incidentals given whether a meal is provided or not.

City accommodations are hotel accommodations made on behalf of the City. Accommodations made to stay with family and close friends will not qualify for incidentals. Per diem will be supplied for that stay if it meets the threshold.

On September 26, 2006, the Newport News City Council voted to adopt a new Vehicle Licensing Fee ordinance. This ordinance replaces the long-standing ordinance that required owners of motor vehicles to purchase and display a city decal. The new ordinance will require owners of motor vehicles, motorcycles and trailers that are garaged, parked or stored within Newport News to pay an annual vehicle license registration fee.

The Vehicle Licensing Fee ordinance incorporates the same rate schedule as the past city decal rates. The Personal property tax bill now reflects a new line item for the 2007 Vehicle Licensing Fee (VLF) for each motor vehicle, motorcycle or trailer assessed in your name. The personal property tax and licensing fee are due on or before the due date reflected on the tax bill.

New vehicles purchased between January 1 and June 30 of each year will be assessed and billed the full Vehicle Licensing Fee (VLF). Vehicles purchased on or after July 1st of each year will not be assessed and billed a licensing fee until the subsequent assessment year's tax billing.

As of January 1, 2007, the 2006 Newport News city decals may be scraped off. If you have any questions, feel free to email the Treasurer's Office.

Enrollment is easy. Just follow these simple steps: 1. Click "Pay Water Bill" in the top left corner of the Waterworks website.2. When the new log-in page appears, select the "New User? Register Here. 3. Complete the enrollment form, including your preferred notification and payment options.4. Use your email address and new password to log into your account at any time in the future.Enrollment will take just a few minutes, but to speed up your enrollment, please have your paper bill, banking information, and an email address available. Once enrolled, you will be able to view a summary of your recent bills and pay any that are outstanding.

The electronic delivery of bills is called e-Billing. When you enroll in the Waterworks online account management system, you’ll have several e-billing notification and payment options to choose from. The default notification option is for paperless e-billing.If you uncheck the “Go Paperless” option, you will receive a paper bill and an e-bill.If you are already enrolled in Waterworks’ online account management system and want to begin e-billing, roll over “Settings,” in the top banner, then click “Notifications and Reminders” to select new notification options.You can also choose to go completely paperless by selecting “Enrolled Accounts” and clicking the “”Go Paperless” box.

You will no longer receive a paper bill in the mail unless you uncheck the box that says: Go Paperless.If you choose to go paperless AFTER your original enrollment, you can do so by clicking “Settings” in the top menu and selecting “View Enrolled Accounts.”

Newport News Waterworks does not give any discounts for people with pools. However, the water used to fill residential swimming pools doesn't enter the sanitary sewer, so it isn't treated. Therefore, HRSD provides the following options for those with swimming pools:

Single family residential customers using a significant amount of water that is not discharged into the sanitary sewer system (typically irrigation systems or swimming pools) can establish a non-metered account with HRSD.

Alternatively, these customers may have a separate water service installed by their local water provider solely for the uses that do not discharge to the sanitary sewer. This separate service will not be billed wastewater treatment charges by HRSD. Other local water charges may apply. Customers should check with their local water provider for details (Waterworks number is 757-926-1000. To reach HRSD, call 757-460-2491 or 1-888-ASK-HRUBS 1-888-275-4782 ore-mail: customerinquiry@hrsd.com.

There could be several reasons for an unusually high water bill. Here are some things to check:1. Do you have a leak? Check indoor and outdoor faucets, toilets, pipes under sinks and check your yard between the meter and the house. Leaks are the NUMBER 1 reason for unexpected high water bills. Find out how to check for and fix leaks at Ask HR GREEN.

2. Have you increased your usage (outdoor watering, house guests, filled the swimming pool or hot tub, power washed the house)?

3. Have the water rates increased and you were caught unaware?

4. Was your meter misread? Give us a call 757-926-1000 and we’ll recheck the reading.

YES! Not only can you use your credit card in person at our walk-in customer service locations (at City Center Oyster Point and the Treasurer’s Office annex at Newport News City Hall) you can also pay by credit card using our automated PHONE SERVICE! Dial 757-926-1000 and press 2 to make a payment. Please note: VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards are accepted online or in person. Only VISA, MasterCard and Discover are accepted over the phone.

You may qualify for a payment extension if your account is in good standing (no past due amounts, no frequent late payments, etc.). If so, you can set your own payment extension by using our automated phone system, just call 757-926-1000 and press 1. Just follow the prompts. Or press 4 and speak with a Customer Service Representative during business hours.

We do. Budget billing is a convenient plan that lets you even out your payments across the year, saving you from unpredictable changes in your water bill. Please note: new customers may not qualify for budget billing because we need 12 billing cycles (2 years for residential customers) to determine an appropriate water history. To sign up, call a Customer Service at 757-926-1000 and press 4 to speak to a representative or stop by our walk-in service center at City Center Oyster Point (700 Town Center Drive, 1st floor).

No, sorry. In fact, the more you use, the more your water rate may go up. You can, however, get a price break on your HRSD bill since the water is not going down the sanitary sewer. You can choose one of HRSD’s two options: become a flat-rate customer or have a separate water line brought into your property for the sole use of outside water use such as lawn watering, pool filling and car washing. For more information, visit the HRSD website. Hampton Roads Sanitation District Website

The National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-5323 can answer questions about lead in water or the EPA's Safe Drinking Water hotline at 1-800-426-4791. If concerned about individual exposure, see your physician.

Plus, Newport News Waterworks regularly tests drinking water for contaminants, including lead.In addition, any Waterworks customer may receive one free tap water lead test. Please call Waterworks Customer Services at 757-926-1000 (Monday thru Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM) for details. Additional water quality information can be found on the Waterworks web site below.

Waterworks customer service and most administrative offices are closed evenings and weekends, however there is staff on duty 24/7 including an operations dispatcher for water emergencies. Water bills can be paid online and over the phone 24/7. Normal work hours for customer service issues are Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can find additional information on their website below, including online or telephone options for bill paying, which can be done 24 hours a day. The customer service number is 757-926-1000.

If it is the city, it may be because of a sewer leak that has to be repaired by Public Works or it may be Waterworks fixing a water main. This type work is done in “off hours” due to urgency – it may affect many residents or may be posing a health or safety concern. Please note that Virginia Natural Gas repairs gas line leaks and Dominion Power repairs power lines that are down.

Your first step should be to go out to see what color truck it is and/or see what words are on the truck. Waterworks trucks are blue. Virginia Natural Gas and Dominion Power both have their name on their trucks.

You would need to speak to Newport News Waterworks, 757-926-1000, regarding running any water lines on your street and to your property. You may also need to install a water line to your house or do other plumbing work, so you or your contractor may need a permit.

No. We only accept Waterworks bill payments on this site. However, there are several places you can pay your HRSD bill. Click on the link below to see the various ways you can pay your bill, including online at HRSD and at Newport News Waterworks’ two walk-in service centers.

Newport News Waterworks does not give any discounts for people with pools/hot tubs. However, the water used to fill residential swimming pools doesn't enter the sanitary sewer, so it isn't treated. Therefore, HRSD provides the following options for those with swimming pools:Single family residential customers using a significant amount of water that is not discharged into the sanitary sewer system (typically irrigation systems or swimming pools) can establish a non-metered account with HRSD. Alternatively, these customers may have a separate water service installed by their local water provider solely for the uses that do not discharge to the sanitary sewer. This separate service will not be billed wastewater treatment charges by HRSD. Other local water charges may apply. Customers should check with their local water provider for details (Waterworks number is 757-926-1000. To reach HRSD, call 757-460-2491 or 1-888-ASK-HRUBS 1-888-275-4782 or e-mail: customerinquiry@hrsd.com.

There could be several reasons for an unusually high water bill. Here are some things to check:

1. Do you have a leak? Check indoor and outdoor faucets, toilets, pipes under sinks and check your yard between the meter and the house. Leaks are the NUMBER 1 reason for unexpectedly high water bills. Find out how to check for and fix leaks at 2. Have you increased your usage (outdoor watering, house guests, filled the swimming pool or hot tub, power washed the house)?3. Have the water rates increased and you were caught unaware?4. Was your meter misread? Give us a call at 757-926-1000, and we’ll recheck the reading.

Once enrolled online, simply sign in and you will see a summary of your current bills. You can then click “Pay.” Select the method of payment, the amount you want to pay and the date you want to pay your bill, click “Submit,” and you're done!

You may cancel a payment as long as has not yet been processed; to do this, click “Payments” in the top menu and select “Payment History.” A “Cancel” button will be available for any payments that you can cancel online. If you need to cancel payments that have already been processed, call 757-926-1000 for assistance.

You can use our online account management system to pay by credit card or bank transfer. You can also make your payment very easily over the phone. With your Waterworks account number handy, call 757-926-1000 and press 2.

You cannot arrange payment extensions online. However, you may qualify for a payment extension if your account is in good standing (no past due amounts, no frequent late payments, etc.). If so, you can set your own payment extension by using our automated phone system, just call 757-926-1000, then press 1. Or press 4 and speak with a Customer Service Representative during business hours.

We do. Budget billing is a convenient plan that lets you even out your payments across the year, saving you from unpredictable changes in your water bill. To sign up, call Customer Service at 757-926-1000 and press 4 to speak to a representative, or stop by our walk-in service center at City Center Oyster Point (700 Town Center Drive, Newport News, 1st floor).Please note: New customers do not qualify for budget billing because we need 12 billing cycles (2 years for residential customers) to determine an appropriate water history. Please note: New customers do not qualify for budget billing because we need 12 billing cycles (2 years for residential customers) to determine an appropriate water history.

For payments made from bank accounts * The system will credit your Waterworks account on the business day following the payment date.* Your payment may be withdrawn from your bank account on or after your payment date. * Payments scheduled for a holiday may be withdrawn from your bank account on the business day after to the holiday.

For payments made from credit/debit cards * A credit/debit card payment is a “real-time” transaction, meaning that the payment process will begin immediately after you enter your card number and click “submit.”* A credit card payment initiated before 8pm Eastern Time on a business day will be credited to your Waterworks account on the following business day.* A credit card payment made after 8pm Eastern Time or on a weekend or holiday will be credited to your Waterworks account within two business days.Timing of Credit Card PaymentsIf you make your Credit Card payment before 8pm ET on... Your account will be credited on... Monday Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Friday Friday The following Monday Saturday The following Tuesday Sunday The following Tuesday

Holidays (Based on the Federal Reserve calendar) New Year's Day Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Washington's Birthday Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day

To view your payment history, click “Payments” from the top menu and click “Payment History.”Before the scheduled payment date, your history page will show the payment as “scheduled.” When the scheduled payment is submitted to the payment processor, your history page will show the payment as “pending.” After the response is received, your history page will show the payment as “approved” or “rejected.”Your payment history will be displayed for up to 3 years.

You can pay your balance in full at any time from your checking account or credit card. You can only arrange a payment extension by calling Waterworks Customer Service at 757-926-1000. To use the automated phone system, press 1. To speak to a Customer Service Representative, press 4. Helpful Hint: Payments should be scheduled at least one business day prior to the Due Date in order to avoid any late fees.

Bills can be paid online using the online account management system. Go to nnva.gov/waterworks and click “Pay Water Bill.” You can also pay by phone. Simply dial 757-926-1000 and press 2. Bills can be paid in person at City Center (700 Town Center Dr, Newport News, 1st floor) or in the Treasurer's Office at City Hall in downtown Newport News (2400 Washington Avenue). Please be aware that there are different hours of operation at the Treasurer’s Office: 8 am to 4 pm.

YES! Just sign up for our online account management system. When you complete the enrollment form, you can select your preferred notification options. It’s fast, it’s simple, and it’s the green thing to do. If you choose to go paperless AFTER your original enrollment, you can do so by clicking “Settings” in the top menu and selecting “View Enrolled Accounts.”

Waterworks’ online account management system uses several methods to ensure that your information is secure:*User ID and Password: Your User Name and Password are unique identifiers that only you know. As long as you don't share your User ID and Password with anyone, no one can view your bills or personal information. *SSL: We use SSL (secure socket layers) which ensures that your connection and information are secure from outside inspection. *Encryption: We use 128 bit encryption to make your information unreadable as it passes over the Internet. *Automatic Sign Out: The system automatically signs you out of a session if you are inactive for 20 minutes. *Sign-In Seal: You have the option of creating a sign-in seal that will be displayed every time you sign in from that device.

Computer security experts advise that you may put your information at risk when you use a public computer for personal business. While we use numerous security measures to protect your personal information on our website, the use of public computers may compromise the security of your information. Public computers include those in schools, libraries, Internet Cafe's, etc. For maximum security you may want to avoid using public computers when enrolling or modifying your personal or banking information. If you must use a public computer, be sure to logoff the site and close the browser when you are finished.

You can manage your account online from any web based computer with an Internet connection and a web browser that supports 128 bit encryption. For more information or to upgrade your software, click on the link below for your browser type:* Microsoft Internet Explorer usersYou will generally need version 9.0 or higher. To check the encryption level on your browser, click HELP, ABOUT, and it will be listed. Click for Microsoft upgrades and more information.* Google Chrome UsersYou will generally need version 10.0 or higher. Click for Google Chrome upgrades and more information. * Firefox UsersYou will generally need version 4.0 or higher. Click for Firefox upgrades and more information. * Safari UsersYou will generally need version 5.1 or higher. Click for Safari upgrades and more information.

When using water for cooking or preparing baby formula, we recommend that you use cold water. Hot water is generally created by your home water heater which may contain impurities. In addition, metals from household pipes and plumbing (faucets) dissolve quicker in hot water than cold water, therefore, cold water may contain less impurities than hot water.

Yes. Newport News Waterworks adheres to drinking water regulations set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and guidance provided by the Virginia Department of Health (the regional VDH Office of Drinking Water is located in Virginia Beach). Waterworks maintains a fluoride level of about 0.9 mg/L (milligrams per liter) at the plants. This is well within the range set by EPA and in accordance with the recommendation of 0.9 mg/L set by the VDH. A proposed recommendation to lower the fluoride level is being studied nationally and locally. As of yet, the VDH has not altered their recommendation of 0.9 mg/L to Virginia water utilities. If and when they do, we will comply with their recommendation.

Cloudy water sometimes occurs in the winter because cold water can trap and hold larger amounts of dissolved oxygen than warm water – the cloudiness is caused by air bubbles. Let a cloudy glass of water sit for a minute or two and the air bubbles will dissipate on their own.

Each year, Waterworks publishes a Water Quality Report that explains where your water comes from, how it is treated and the results of water tests. A copy of the report is mailed with your water bill every spring. That same report and an expanded (more information) report can be found on our web site at www.nnva.gov/waterworks. Please note: there is a separate water quality report for our Lightfoot well system customers in Upper York County.

If you are concerned about your water quality, yes. We will test your water from your meter, outside your home. You do not have to be home. Call Waterworks Customer Service at 757-926-1000 (press 4) and speak with a representative. The results of the test will be mailed to you.

It’s true when the new party requests service it will automatically terminate the previous customer's account. However, the customer moving out should always give us a move-out request. This shows their intent to end their responsibility of water charges at the property. It also allows us to update our records with a forwarding address.

We have run into situations where the new owners did not request service until months later and then the previous owner/customer wants Waterworks to back date the move-out request when they didn’t give us an original request to terminate service.

No. We are two completely different organizations. Waterworks is a department of the City of Newport News – the Department of Public Utilities. We provide drinking water to Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, York County and the Grove area of James City County. HRSD, the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia with a Board of Commissioners, selected by the Governor. HRSD provides wastewater treatment for all of Hampton Roads, including the Southside. Hampton Roads Sanitation District Website

Yes; middle school programs are at the Brittingham-Midtown Community Center (BMCC) and Denbigh Community Center (DCC). The BMCC site operates on the same schedule as the K through 5th grade programs; while DCC is PM only (school close until 6:30PM).

Yes, there is an Early Childhood Program (ages 3—5) at the Brittingham-Midtown Community Center, the Denbigh Community Center and the Denbigh Early Childhood Center. These programs operate on the same schedule as the other programs. That is, they run before school, after school, but there is also a full day option at BMCC and DCC.

That depends on the option that you choose. Youth Programs has AM only (6:00-school starts), PM only (school close till 6:30), AM and PM, and Full Day (KIDS) programs with prices starting at $45/week.

The cost structure per week is:

KIDS Program (Brittingham—Midtown Community Center and Denbigh Early Childhood Center): • Before School — $45• After School — $59• AM and PM — $79• Full Day (3—4 Year Olds) — $95Elementary Schools and Middle Schools: • Before School — $45• After School — $59• AM and PM — $79

When you walk into one of our centers you should see clearly delineated areas of play with talented and capable instructors helping the children have the best experience that they can. Our goal is not only your child’s satisfaction but yours as well. At the end of the day, when you pick up your child, a waiting smile should tell that you chose us for all the right reasons.